Nightmares
by Vegetableswillhavetheirrevenge
Summary: When Merlin starts to suffer from nightmares due to Morgause's spell, he finds himself slipping further and further towards the edge. In his current state, how long will he be able to continue hiding his magic? Set after series 2. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**So here goes- my first ever fanfic. I hope you like it. Feel free to review. Not sure about the rating, but I think K+ is appropriate. Tell me if I'm wrong.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin**

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**Chapter 1**

Merlin was exhausted. It was only to be expected- the final confrontation with the Great Dragon had left him physically drained, and with the loss of his father still fresh in his mind, his mental state wasn't faring much better. After seeing that Arthur was settled, he staggered back to his room, tiptoeing past the sleeping form of Gaius on his way, and collapsed into his bed. He was fast asleep within seconds, having not even had the strength to remove his boots.

He was so deep in sleep, in fact, that he failed to notice when a certain blonde-haired sorceress crept into the room, placing a flower under his mattress and muttering a few words in the ancient language before stepping back.

"You should never have poisoned my sister boy. As punishment, the memory of what you have done- and more- will haunt you every night. It will drive you so far into madness boy, that death will seem like a sweet release." Smiling malevolently, she stepped back and left the room, but not before she glanced over her shoulder just in time to see the young boy toss in his sleep, a frown across his face.

* * *

"Honestly Merlin!" Arthur's voice rang out across the training grounds. "You're completely useless today!" He watched as his bumbling oaf of a servant leant to pick up the equipment he had dropped for the third time in as many minutes, staggering towards the rack with it now (hopefully) firmly in his grip.

"Sorry sire," the younger man answered, "I'm just a bit tired, that's all."

The young Prince gave his servant an appraising glance. In all honesty, he was looking quite pale, and there were dark rings evident around his eyes. Truth be told, Arthur was worried. Merlin had seemed… off… somehow ever since the day two weeks ago when they had fought the Dragon that had been terrorising the city. Not that he would ever voice his concerns however- he could only imagine the smug grin on Merlin's face if he found out that the Prince actually cared about his wellbeing. He breathed a deep sigh.

"Well, there's no helping it now. Let's head back- my Father has asked that the council convene in one hour anyway. Just put it away- and make sure to knock some sense into that thick skull of yours before you bring up my supper. Can't very well have you dropping that all over the place now, can we?" With that said, he strode off back towards the castle, leaving a dejected Merlin behind to lug his equipment back to the armoury.

* * *

Back in Arthur's chambers later that day, Merlin awaited Arthur's return. Rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hand, he collapsed into one of the chairs and lent forward onto the table. He felt so tired. Every night for the past fortnight or so he had woken constantly, unable to block the images of all of his worst moments from haunting his dreams. Even Gaius' sleeping draught hadn't helped him- the nightmares were just too strong.

Just as he contemplated resting his eyes for a few minutes, the doors to the room burst open, and Arthur barged in.

"Merlin, get up you lazy so-and-so. I need you to pack my bags and ready my armour. We ride out in the morning."

"Where are we going?"

"My father has ordered that, as the repairs to Camelot are going well, groups of Knights be dispatched to begin the search for Morgana." At the sound of his friend's name, Merlin couldn't help but wince. Hers was one of the most prominent faces in his dreams- the shock and sense of betrayal in her eyes as she'd realised he had poisoned her. The look did not escape Arthur's attention.

"Merlin, I know you're worried about her, but nothing will happen just sitting here." Of course, the Prince had no idea of what had occurred during the battle with the Knights of Medhir. "And if that's what's been making you down lately then don't worry- we'll find her."

Merlin hid his worry at what Morgana being found could mean for him, and instead shot the young Prince one his usual cheeky grins.

"I know. And I'm not worried. I was just thinking that if… when… she does return, I'm going to have to put up with your foul moods again every time she outsmarts you." Dodging the goblet which flew towards his head, he dived out of the room and headed off to prepare for the following day.

That night, the dreams grew stronger.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wowzas. The first chapter's been up less than a day, and already 5 reviews and 19 alerts. Thanks for all the support- glad you like the story so far, and here's hoping you continue to.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin**

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**Chapter 2**

Shaking his head in an unsuccessful attempt to rid himself of tiredness, Merlin stumbled out of the Physician's Chambers, a bag slung over his shoulder, and staggered off towards the stables. Rubbing his eyes, he didn't even notice Gwen until he ran into her, knocking the basket of laundry she was carrying to the floor in the process. She had been working in the laundry room since Morgana's disappearance, helping out while others were away rebuilding their homes after the destruction caused by the Dragon's attacks on the city. He quickly knelt to help her to gather it all up again.

"Ah. Gwen. Good to see you." He grinned at her. "Sorry about that, I was kind of in a hurry."

"Merlin, are you alright?" The maid had a distinctly worried look on her face. "You look terrible."

"Thanks."

"No, I didn't mean you look _bad_ per say, just that... Oh, you know what I meant." She paused, collecting her thoughts. "You look tired."

Merlin didn't want to worry her unnecessarily, so he just flashed her a quick smile.

"It's nothing to worry about. I just didn't get much sleep last night. I'm fine though." As they gathered up the last of the laundry he indicated down the hallway. "Well, I'd better get going. We're off to start the search, and Mr. High-and-Mighty will be useless without me there. Wish us luck."

"Good luck."

Setting off for the stables once again, Merlin didn't notice as Gwen's smiling face turned back into a frown before she went on her way. Something was clearly wrong with her friend, and there was nothing she could do.

A few minutes later, Merlin led the two newly-saddled horses towards the group gathering in the castle courtyard. A few of the waiting Knights nodded to him in acknowledgement as he joined them, watching as Arthur came down the steps- his royal pratness casting his eye over the group to make sure no-one was missing. Assured that everyone was ready, the Prince gave the order and they began to move out.

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Coming down the stairs, Arthur couldn't help but notice that his manservant seemed, if possible, even more tired than he had the day before. Keeping his thoughts to himself, he allowed himself the slightest of frowns before clambering onto his horse. He had more important things to worry about. Morgana had been missing for over two weeks- who knew what Morgause could have done to her in that time.

However, as the group rode forward during the day, heading west and stopping at every village they passed, his thoughts continued to turn towards the boy riding at his side. He was holding up well, but Arthur could tell that he looked ready to fall asleep at any moment.

That night, they set up camp in a clearing near the edge of a forest. He waited until the party had eaten before barking out that he would take first watch. He quickly quelled any objections from the Knights and sat himself down next to the fire, alert to any noises outside the camp. When Merlin offered to join him, he simply gave him a disparaging look.

"Go to bed Merlin. You look dead, and I can't have you falling off your horse while the rest of us are trying to get some proper work done."

He watched as the young servant boy reluctantly lay down and fell asleep in less than a minute. He had obviously been absolutely exhausted. Shaking his head, the young Prince turned back towards the fire and readied himself for the long night ahead.

It wasn't long after the others had dropped off before he heard strange mutterings from Merlin's direction.

Glancing over, he could see that Merlin was obviously having some kind of nightmare. The boy was writhing around in his sleep, his face contorted, muttering beneath his breath.

"It wasn't my fault. I didn't mean to. I had to do something. It wasn't my fault." This continued for a while. Worried, Arthur walked over to Merlin. What on earth could he be dreaming about to make him so upset. Suddenly, the boy jolted upright, eyes wide:

"Father!"

There was a pause. The air was filled with Merlin's heavy breathing. Their eyes met, but it took a minute for Merlin to recognise Arthur, his vision clouded with tears.

Arthur was shocked. He'd only heard Merlin mention his Father once before- when they were on their way to Arthur's promised meeting with Morgause. He had never met him. So why was Merlin crying out for his father now?

"Well." Said Arthur, trying to diffuse some of the tension. "That was certainly unexpected." Merlin blinked.

"Sorry sire, I…"

"It's nothing. Go back to sleep." He walked back towards the fire, surprise on his face as a moment later Merlin sat next to him.

"I won't get back to sleep now. Believe me, I've tried before."

"This has happened before?"

The servant nodded his head. "For the past couple of weeks. I can't sleep. As soon as I do, the nightmares just return. I've tried everything." There was a silence, as Merlin bowed his head, staring into the flames.

"You… You mentioned your father." The head snapped up.

"Did I?"

"Yes." Arthur watched as a quick look of pain flitted across his manservant's face, before it settled into what could only be described as a bemused grin.

"That's strange, isn't it. It's not like I ever met him or anything." A pause. Arthur had originally intended to pursue the topic farther, but upon seeing the look in Merlin's eyes as he looked once again into the flames of the campfire, he quickly changed his mind.

"You should try and get some more sleep." Merlin shook his head profusely.

"I told you, I can't."

"This is an order Merlin. You are to lie there until you fall asleep." He changed his tone. "Look, Merlin, it may be hard, but it's best to grab as much rest as possible. We've got a tough time ahead of us, and if you're not better rested, there's a chance you might get hurt."

A silence fell between the two, until Merlin just nodded his head and went back to where he had lain before. It wasn't long before his mutterings filled the camp again. Arthur sighed. He had a bad feeling about this.


	3. Chapter 3

**Once again, I want to thank all you lovely people who have reviewed and/or alerted this story. Well, here comes part 3. Hope you enjoy it :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin**

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**Chapter 3**

The next day found the Knights searching the forest thoroughly for any signs that the Sorceress responsible for kidnapping the King's ward had been in this direction. Merlin tried to keep up his regular cheerful banter, but it wasn't long before he started to lag behind.

He was feeling even more drained today. The night before had been full of nightmares, growing worse each time he managed to get to sleep. He couldn't understand where they were coming from. He'd never suffered like this before. Maybe he had reached his limit and hadn't realised it? Maybe the weight of his destiny was finally proving too much for him to bear?

Still deep in thought, he barely even noticed as he staggered suddenly, tripping over a protruding stone. In fact, the next thing he knew he was flat on his face being hauled up by an exasperated Arthur.

"Oh for goodness _sake_ Merlin! That's the fifth time already today, and it's not even half-way through the morning!"

"Sorry sire"

"If you can't do anything useful here, just go back and wait with the horses already!"

"Yes sire." Merlin trudged off back the way they had come. Just great. Once again, he had made a complete and utter fool of himself. On the upside, at least he had an excuse this time. If he had been so clumsy during a regular hunt, and when he wasn't this sleep-deprived, he had the feeling Arthur may just have skinned him alive.

Forcing himself to stay awake, he took the time away from the group to gather some more wood and start the fire up once again. He had no doubt that when the others returned they would be hungry, and he darn well wouldn't give Arthur the opportunity to say once again that he'd been lazing about doing nothing for the day.

* * *

Gaius was just readying himself for bed when he noticed a faint light emanating from Merlin's room. Wandering over, he cautiously opened the door. Looking around, he noticed that the source of the light seemed to be hidden beneath the young Warlock's mattress.

Making his way towards the head of the bed, he lifted the mattress slightly and found a small flower, glowing, bathing the room in a soft yellow light. He sighed wearily, assuming it was just another of his ward's unnecessary magic tricks.

"Honestly, what is that boy up to now?"

Searching around for a box to ensure that no light would escape and catch the attention of a passing guard, he laid the flower in it, closed the lid and placed the box safely under the bed. He'd have to have another word with Merlin when he returned.

* * *

A few days passed in the same manner for the search party. Every morning after the breakfast they would move on to a new location. Then Merlin would be left behind to set up camp and see to the horses while everyone else continued searching.

Merlin took the opportunity while the others weren't there to rest. He could barely even find the energy to move- he just sat there staring out at his surroundings, too exhausted to stay awake, but too scared to fall asleep.

The search party rarely returned until evening, choosing to either miss lunch or eat as they searched, munching on dried bread from pouches they kept tied round their waists, and occasionally killing a rabbit or two that they happened across as fresh meat for the evening. The king had ordered that Morgana be found, and God help them they were going to try their utmost best to do just that.

Arthur, meanwhile, found himself becoming more and more concerned with his manservant. He took the first watch each night, and as the boy often refused to attempt to go back to sleep after he had woken up for the forth or fifth time, while everyone in the camp knew that Merlin was having trouble sleeping; Arthur was the only one who heard what the younger man said each night in his sleep.

That night started much the same as those that had preceded it. After a hearty meal around the fire, swapping stories and jokes, most of the Knights retired, leaving just Arthur sitting by himself. It wasn't long before he once again heard the mumblings he had come to expect.

"Please. You have to. I can't. Can't do it alone. You have to come. Please. Hurry. Arthur!" Arthur snapped his head around. It was the first time he had heard Merlin say his name. He was tossing and turning now.

"Hurry. Danger. It's in the water. It's coming." Arthur listened intently. Something in the water- could Merlin possibly be dreaming about that time they had faced the Afanc? But that was almost two years ago. The Afanc was dead, killed by the flames from Arthur's torch. For what possible reason would he be recollecting it now?

"No. Sword's not good. Fire's not enough. Not big enough." Arthur frowned, leaning closer to his servant, and speaking his name. But Merlin just ignored him.

"Fire's not enough. Need… need wind." The manservant's eyes fluttered, and Arthur could have sworn he saw them flash gold as the boy suddenly snapped up straight, yelling Arthur's name.

At the sound, the others around the camp began to stir, some sitting up, only to stare in shock as a huge gust of wind blasted through the encampment, stirring the fire up to three times it's original size before passing. Sir Leon was the first to break the silence.

"Sire. I heard a shout. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. The yell was just this idiot having a nightmare. Go back to sleep." Nodding their acknowledgement, the Knights turned back over where they lay. Within a few minutes, the soft sound of heavy breathing filled the clearing once again. Arthur span back around to face the servant boy.

"Now. What on earth was all that about?"

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**Please review. It makes me happy :D**** (And don't worry about being strict- I can take it)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you sooooooo much to all those who have reviewed, favourited and alerted my story. I'm so happy to know that you're enjoying it. Well, now that I've left you all in suspense at the end of that last chapter, lets see what you make of this one. Enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.**

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**Chapter 4**

Arthur turned towards him.

"Now. What on earth was all that about?"

"What on earth was what about?"

Arthur pointed a finger accusingly and whispered. "You cast magic!"

Merlin allowed a split second pause as he tried to contain the ball of fear which had just settled into his stomach. "No I didn't."

"Yes you did"

"Did not"

"Did"

"I think I'd know if I'd cast magic Arthur." That made Arthur stop. The Prince blinked as he considered this, before drawing his arm back to his side and plonking himself down next to his servant.

"True." Merlin breathed a sigh of relief. "I guess if could have been a trick of the light. A coincidence. Nothing more." Okay, Merlin was confused now.

"What was a coincidence"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it."

"But you've got me interested now. I'm intrigued. Come on, tell me."

Arthur sighed in annoyance. They both knew that Merlin was going to win this one.

"Fine. I'll tell you. You were dreaming, said something about wind and woke up. The fire must have reflected in your eyes or something, because for a second there they looked like they has turned golden. Right at that moment, that stupid wind suddenly blew through the camp." He turned to Merlin. "I guess I just got a bit jumpy from being on watch. I mean, you didn't even say any magic words or anything anyway."

He looked away again, a bit grumpy at having to admit that he had jumped to conclusions. "There. I've told you. Happy now?"

Merlin quickly shifted his gaze, trying to hide what he knew must be expressed in his eyes. Had he actually done it? Had he used magic in his sleep? Surely not. Surely he'd know. Arthur was right. It was a coincidence. Nothing more. Swallowing, he turned back to the man sitting at his side.

"Of course sire. Now, if you don't mind…" He gestured, indicating where Arthur had sat on the edge of his blanket.

"Oh, of course." He stood. "And Merlin…" There was a pause in which they gazed at each other, the elder of the two with concern evident in his eyes before he gave an embarrassed cough, "I'll, um, be right over here if you need to talk."

"Thank you sire." He almost laughed at how awkward the Prince seemed. The man really couldn't deal with emotion at all.

Merlin lay back down again, turning over so he faced away from his friend before he allowed his worry to show on his face. He had a lot of thinking to do. A lot. It was just a shame that he couldn't seem to keep his eyes open.

* * *

Arthur could have sworn that there had been a hint of fear in Merlin's eyes as he had quickly turned his face away after the young man gave his description of what he had seen, hiding his expression. But he was confused. What could Merlin have to be afraid about? He had been right- there was no way Merlin could be a Sorcerer. It was impossible for him to have used magic. Besides, if the young man had been a sorcerer, was it really likely that he'd have moved right to the heart of Camelot- right under the King's nose- and stayed there for two whole years? Merlin may be an idiot, but he wasn't quite _that_ stupid.

No, something was certainly going on with his servant, but it definitely wasn't anything magical. That he could be sure of. The problem was that he had absolutely no idea what the problem could be. There was no choice- he'd have to talk to Merlin tomorrow. Find out what was wrong. He would never admit it, but it really bothered Arthur to see his friend suffer like this. They needed to get to the root of the problem, before Merlin ended up getting himself hurt or becoming ill.

A new bout of fitful mumbling from where Merlin lay jolted him out of his reverie.

Tomorrow. They could talk tomorrow.

* * *

The next morning, Merlin felt even worse. Clutching his head, he felt a wave of nausea wash over him. He couldn't continue like this for much longer. He had slept in fitful intervals of about five minutes, his dreams waking him each time. For most of the night, he had just lain there, wondering desperately if this was in fact affecting his magic- making him lose control of his lifelong source of comfort and strength.

Seeing the Knights beginning to stand around him, he clambered shakily to his feet. Picking up his blanket, he began to walk over to his horse- only to collapse before he was even halfway there.

"Merlin!" Arthur's voice rang out as he ran over to where Merlin lay and crouched down next to him. "Merlin!"

Blinking his eyes in confusion, Merlin sat up.

"Wh-what the…" He looked at the Prince, and allowed a small smile to flit across his face. "Well, that was an unexpected trip."

He tried to stand once again, only to have Arthur's firm grip keep him in place.

"Oh no you don't- you're not moving from that spot until I'm sure you're okay to move."

"I'm fine." The words sounded fake even to himself. In truth, he really didn't feel like he would have the strength to walk for a while yet- but rather that he might just collapse at any moment.

"No Merlin, you're not fine." The Prince spoke in his usual brisk, matter-of-fact tones. "You will stay in that spot until I say otherwise. That's an order Merlin." He looked around at his Knights, who were standing watching the scene with concern evident on their faces. "I shall stay with him for today. You men continue the search from where we left off yesterday."

Ignoring the protests from the Knights that he should be the one to stay behind just to watch over a servant, he quickly relayed an order to Leon that he would be leading the search for the day.

It seemed like an age before the Knights eventually left. The Prince stayed by his manservant's side the entire time. Checking that the young man would be okay walking, he grabbed him by the arm and supported his weight as they made their way back to where they had lain the night before.

"Come on Merlin, you're going back to sleep."

Merlin froze for a second, before shaking his head.

"I can't Arthur, I just can't."

Arthur sighed, forcing his friend down into a sitting position before turning and sitting opposite him, looking him straight in the eye.

"Look, I know you're having trouble sleeping, but you have to at least try. You can't continue like this." Another shake of the head. Merlin met his gaze, and Arthur was shocked by the level of fear and pain evident in those normally clear blue eyes.

"You don't get it Arthur. I can't. I can't face it all again. All those images, all that pain. I can't face it again." He clutched his head briefly in his hands before looking up once more.

"Every time I close my eyes, all I see is sadness, anger, pain. It hurts Arthur. I can't escape it." He hung his head, kneading the palm of his hand against his brow. "It's all coming back, and there's nothing I can do."

Arthur watched, a lump rising in his chest as he saw the tears of frustration filling his friend's eyes. All of those times Merlin had been there for him- through every trial he faced, every frustration he felt, the boy had always been there to offer a cheeky grin and a quirky comment, and even occasionally the odd word of wisdom. Was there nothing he could do for the younger man? For once, Merlin needed him. And he had no idea what to do. He was completely useless.

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**So there you are. Hope you liked it, and please review :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Wow! Once again, I must thank all those of you who have reviewed etc. this story. I can scarcely bring myself to believe you're still enjoying it so much. Here comes chapter 5. Hope you like it, and please continue to review, it's really rather exciting reading them :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin**

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**Chapter 5**

Merlin was floating in darkness. He tried to move, but there was no point. Where was there to go? He couldn't even tell which way was up and which way was down. Giving up, he just waited for something to happen.

He didn't have to wait long.

A large pool of crystal clear water suddenly appeared beneath his feet. He struggled against it, but he could feel himself sinking further and further into it's depths. He reached out, screaming, but there was no-one there to hear him. No-one there to pull him out. He was alone.

He drew in one last breath as his head went under, his entire body now submerged. How long would it be before he drowned? He clenched his eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable feeling of suffocation which would surely envelop him at any moment. But it never came.

Slowly, cautiously, he opened his eyes and stared around him. The water went on, perfectly clear, for as far as he could see.

Or was it clear? What was that in the distance? He tried to swim towards it, but he couldn't move. It didn't matter though, the unknown object was coming closer and closer at an alarming rate, speeding towards him so fast that it felt like just a second before it reached him.

A stream of images, floating in the water, surrounding him, hemming him in on all sides. No, wait. Not just images- there were sounds too. Picking a random image, he focused on it, then jolted in terror as he felt himself being pulled into the scene.

A girl lay dying in his arms- killed by his own hand. Morgana. He remembered it all, and fought with all his might to escape before he had to once again witness the look in her eyes, the utter shock at his betrayal turning into hatred. Before he had to once again feel his heart shattering into pieces in the knowledge that he had poisoned one of the best friends he had ever had.

But he couldn't escape. He was forced to relive it all- every second of it scorching itself into his mind. He found himself crying- screaming silently, begging for some form of release. He forced himself away, trying to close off his mind.

Another scene. A great monstrous beast flying over the city, burning everyone it laid eyes upon. Setting fire to people's homes. There were cries, screams, yelling. The stench of scorching flesh filled the air- bodies strewn around the square. He tried to stop it- tried to cast a spear into the heart of the beast with his magic, but it just bounced off harmlessly. He was powerless- the Dragon was going to destroy all of Camelot- it had already taken so many lives- and it was all his fault. He had caused this when he had set the Dragon free. All of this was his fault.

Another scene, and another, hundreds of moments of his life flashing through his mind, forcing him to relive each one over and over- the Sidhe, the Gryphon, the Knights of Medhir. And more- so many more- Arthur dying, Freya's death, his Father's final moments. Each one made him feel as though his heart were being ripped from his chest and torn into hundreds of pieces.

It was too much, he couldn't face the memories any longer. He needed to blast it all away. Taking in a deep breath, he concentrated on the magic he knew was running through his very veins, gathering it into a tight ball in his chest, before letting it burst out in a raw wave of power.

It worked. The images disappeared. He woke, bolting upright, his eyes snapping open in a blaze of gold, the power still rushing from him, blasting through the camp. Passing through the young man who was sat at his side, pushing him several feet back.

Eventually Merlin managed to rein it in, to pull the magic back into himself.

Panting heavily, he suddenly realised what was happening- where he was. His eyes darted over to Arthur, fear the only emotion he could feel as he saw his friend staring at him in shock.

He had seen him. Oh God, Arthur had seen him use magic.

It was all over.

* * *

Arthur sat next to his friend in silence, his mind turning once again to what had happened last night, mulling it over. He had finally managed to make Merlin lie down to rest, and he had fallen asleep shortly after. Arthur feared that the young man was becoming ill- his forehead was beginning to burn with hints of fever, and his normally pale skin had taken on a ghostly pallor. There wasn't much he could do, simply laying a cold cloth over his brow and staying with him.

He watched, concerned, as Merlin began tossing in his sleep even more heavily than he had during the previous nights. His face was contorted with anguish, tears streaming down his face. Jumbled words poured in a nonsensical order from his tongue- words of apology, of hopelessness, of grief. He began writhing fiercely, as though he were fighting against some unknown enemy.

Not knowing what he should do, Arthur grabbed his arms, trying to pin him in place so he wouldn't end up hurting himself. He tried to speak soothingly to his friend.

"Merlin. Merlin. Can you hear me Merlin? It's fine okay, you're safe. Merlin, please just calm down."

He couldn't get through. Struggling to keep the boy still, Arthur felt that now all-to-familiar sense of panic and helplessness wash over him. What on earth was going on here?

The struggle continued for almost 15 minutes before Merlin suddenly lay still. Breathing a sigh of relief, Arthur sat back on his heels, only to reel backwards seconds later when the boy abruptly jolted upright. His eyes opened, glowing a fierce and intense gold.

Arthur barely had time to register this fact before a surge of raw energy slammed outwards, sending him flying.

He lay sprawled on the ground for several seconds, listening to Merlin's heavy breathing, trying to calm his quickly beating heart, trying to make sense of the thoughts swirling around in his head. That was magic. _Merlin_ had used magic. There had been no words, no warning, no indication at all- just a single blast of power. His friend was a sorcerer, and- if what had just happened was anything to go by- he was a powerful one.

Arthur lifted his head, barely even registering the pain that such a small action gave him, and stared at his friend.

After a few seconds, Merlin stared back.

Arthur slowly pulled himself into a sitting position- he didn't trust himself to stand just yet. He just sat there, staring at Merlin. The boy looked terrified. The young Prince had seen that look so many times in his life- on the faces of the hundreds of people his father had had executed.

He had never expected to see such an expression on Merlin's face.

The best friend he had ever had was staring at him with the expression of a hunted animal expecting to meet it's end at any moment. And for some reason, this hurt Arthur more than he could say.

So many emotions were rolling around inside him- shock, disbelief, anger. But not the anger he would have expected- for some reason he couldn't bring himself to be angry right now over the fact that Merlin had _used_ magic. More than that- so much more- there was anger at his betrayal. How could he have never told him? They had been together for two years now. Had become closer than a master and servant should ever come. They were best friends. So why had Merlin never told him this?

Swallowing hard; forcing down his rising emotions, he forced himself to stand, looking down at his friend. He could only imagine the expression on his own face.

He took a step forward, but the second his foot touched the ground his leg gave out beneath him, and he went tumbling to the ground.

The last thing he heard was a single urgent shout.

"ARTHUR!"

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**Well, there you have it. Before I leave it at that, I must thank JBQ for reminding me of the fact that Arthur really should still harbour the slightest of doubts about the whole wind thing. I added in just one extra sentence to show it, as I didn't want to change much of what I'd already put. Hope everyone enjoyed it, and please review :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Right. First off I need to apologize to those of you who I told that I would have this chapter up this morning. I had to leave the house at eight to get to my 9am lecture, and I forgot to e-mail the chapter to myself before I left. Therefore, when I got to the library with the intention of adding the final touches and putting it up, I didn't have it there. To make it up to you, I worked on chapter 7 instead, so I should be able to have that up very shortly. In the meantime, Please enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin**

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**Chapter 6**

Merlin could barely breath. Arthur knew. Arthur had seen him use his magic. What would happen now? Would he turn him in to Uther? Kill him on the spot? He dared not hope that the Prince would actually forgive him for it. Why on earth had he let himself lose control like that? Now it was all over.

He watched as Arthur stared silently at him. There were so many emotions flitting across his face that Merlin found it impossible to read them all. One was prominent though. Anger. Arthur was angry. Oh God. Arthur was _furious!_

Arthur was getting up. He was standing. He was coming closer. He was falling… Wait? Falling? Merlin's heart skipped a beat. It was as though everything was happening in slow motion, and yet it was over in the blink of an eye- his friend collapsed right in front of his eyes almost before he even realised what was happening.

Merlin immediately forgot his fear; forgot his tiredness; forgot that he himself had also collapsed just a short while ago. He jumped up and ran over to his friend, unable to prevent himself from calling out.

"ARTHUR!" He dove down to kneel at the other man's side, horrified to see blood seeping from a wound on the back of his head- dying his blond hair a deep and dangerous red. No. Oh no. He had done this to Arthur. His magic had thrown him across the camp- Arthur must have hit his head when he landed. This was his fault.

"Arthur. Arthur. Can you hear me?" Merlin raced over to the horses and grabbed his pack. He had a few basic medical supplies in there- Gaius never let him leave without them. "Arthur, you need to wake up. Please Arthur." He was unaware of the tears flowing down his face as he hurried to clean the Prince's wound, desperately securing a linen bandage round his friend's head. Oh, how he wished he had paid more attention to Gaius when the older man had tried to teach him these things. Look where not listening had got him.

Focusing on Arthur's face, he continued to speak.

"Arthur, come on. You need to wake up. You're stronger than this, you've had worse injuries in the past." Nothing. His fear and frustration grew, bursting out in the form of insults. "Come on you stupid prat. I need you to wake up. You may be a clot pole, and an arrogant twit, but I need you. Camelot needs you. You need to wake up!"

He let out a huge sigh of relief as the Prince's eyes flickered slowly open.

"Who are you calling a Prat?"

Merlin couldn't help it. He knelt back, hands clasped together on his lap, and gave a quick laugh of joy before remembering that he had been the cause of this.

"Oh thank God. I thought… I thought you…" Arthur weakly punched him on the arm.

"Come on now, you're not getting rid of me that easily."

* * *

When Arthur opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a distraught Merlin wringing his hands together. Grief and guilt were written in his features, tears streaming down his face. Remembering back to how he himself had felt when Merlin had collapsed, all he could do was try to cheer his friend up. Giving a feeble punch, he turned his face towards him.

"Come on now, you're not getting rid of me that easily." The two laughed briefly, Merlin shaking his head in relief.

"No, of course not. It'll probably take at least two knocks to do that."

"Oi!" Bringing his hand to his head, he noticed a bandage wrapped around it. He frowned. "How long was I out?"

"Not long. A few minutes maybe."

Arthur held up an arm. "Here, help me up will you?" Merlin quickly obliged, helping his master to his feet and guiding Arthur over to a large tree. The Prince sat down, leaning his weight against it to make sure that he was secure. The younger man looked down at him, stumbling over his words before he managed to speak.

"I'm so sorry Arthur- I didn't mean to- I didn't even realise…"

"It's fine. I know. You don't have to apologize." Stopping, he looked up at his friend, once again remembering what he had wanted to say.

"You're a sorcerer."

Merlin tensed. "Yes. Well, no. Well, sort of. Well."

"Spit it out Merlin!"

"Technically? No, I'm a Warlock." Arthur raised his eyebrow.

"A warlock?" Merlin nodded. "There's a difference?" Another nod. Arthur sighed. "Well, not that it matters as far as my father is concerned."

"Are you… going to tell him?" For a second, Arthur froze. That thought hadn't even occurred to him. Strange- ordinarily that would be the first thing on his mind in such a situation. Maybe it was just because this was Merlin? Then he realised something he hadn't before.

"Is that why you never told me?"

The self-proclaimed warlock seemed confused by this response. "Well, yeah. Lately anyway. At first it was because you were such an obnoxious prat. Not that you've changed much." Arthur had to hold back a grin at that. Even in such a situation, Merlin was still cracking jokes.

"Watch it you idiot. I still haven't forgiven you for keeping this hidden from me all this time. You've got a lot of making up to do. But, in answer to your question- no, I won't tell him."

Arthur watched as Merlin considered this for a second, surprised when he suddenly burst out with an entirely unexpected comment.

"Are you sure you didn't hit your head harder than we thought?"

"_Pretty_ sure Merlin. Why?"

"Well, it's just that- considering how much of a clot pole you usually are- you seem to be taking this quite calmly. I'm still half expecting you to burst into a giant rant and try to punch me any second now." The boy paused. "Oh no, you're going to punch me now aren't you?" This time, Arthur didn't quite manage to hold back the snort that burst from him.

"Oh please, do you really think I'd try and punch a weakling like you? You're not even worth it- one touch and you'd be flat on your back unable to move." The two of them gave a brief laugh.

All jokes aside though, what Merlin had said was true. If this had been anyone else, he would have immediately yelled out about how they had betrayed both himself and the whole of Camelot, before dragging the person before his father. For some reason though, things just felt different now. He had always known that there was something strange about Merlin, right from the first time the two of them had met. And now he knew why. And for some reason, Merlin's magic wasn't as big a surprise to him as it should be. In fact, it felt… right. Like everything had just clicked into place. Merlin wasn't evil. Magic wasn't evil. The law was wrong. His father was wrong. All doubts Arthur had previously had on the topic washed away- gone in the blink of an eye because of this one new piece of information.

He turned to Merlin, his eyes glinting with this newfound certainty. There were so many things he wanted to know.

"So- what does it feel like? To use magic that is?" He could tell that Merlin was surprised by this sudden turn of events, but he didn't care. He wanted to know everything. "Come on, tell me."

"What does it feel like?" This time, it was the Prince's turn to nod. "That's a tough one to describe." The young manservant sat himself down facing his master, joy evident on his face at being able to finally share this secret with his friend, exhaustion completely forgotten for the time being. "Sometimes it feels like you're floating in a river- everything just comes so easily, and you just go along with it, riding the currents. At other times it's like you're a bird flying in a storm- like you're battling against the wind and the rain and the lightning, and the only thing keeping you up in the air is your will and perseverance. It's like you're a part of nature, connected to everything in the world and yet completely separate. It's like… It's like nothing words could ever explain. It's just…" He struggled to find the right word. "Amazing."

Arthur closed his eyes, trying to imagine, allowing this new knowledge to seep through his entire being. In a way, it reminded him of the exhilaration he felt while fighting- it could be hard, but in a way it was so very easy to find the flow of battle and go along with it. Merlin's description of magic sounded wonderful. To think that such a short time ago he had believed such a thing to be evil and corrupting. The very idea seemed ludicrous now. He opened his eyes again.

"So when did you first use magic? What made you decide to try it?"

Merlin just looked at him, a smile plastered across his face as though he found the idea laughable.

"I didn't just decide to. It's a part of me."

"What do you mean?"

"Just what I said- It's a part of me. I've been using magic since I was born."

* * *

**So there you go. I hope you liked it. To be honest with you, even I actually thought that Arthur would have a rant. But this acceptance of the whole thing just seemed to flow. I hope it worked.**

**Please feel free to review- it really helps my enthusiasm :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Wow! So many reviews building up :D I never thought I'd get so many, especially on my first attempt. I can't believe how supportive everyone is here. Well, I promised a quick update, and here it is. Hope you enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Arthur was thoroughly confused. He had never before heard of a person being born with magic- it was something you learnt or developed as you grew older- something you studied for years to master. Surely it couldn't be possible for a person to simply be born with the ability to use it? But when he voiced his opinions to the younger man, Merlin just gave him a lopsided grin.

"Yeah well, I'm kind of an exception."

"In what way?"

Merlin looked embarrassed. He really wasn't used to talking about himself in this way. "I, um. Well... It's kind of hard to explain without sounding really big-headed."

"Why on earth would you be coming across as big-headed Merlin?

"I kind of have this destiny..." He paused, a blush rising in his cheeks.

"Go on."

"There's never been anyone like me before, and there probably never will be again. I'm sort of destined to become... well."

"Oh for God's sake Merlin, will you hurry it up already!"

"To become... the most powerful warlock of all time." The young warlock rushed this last sentence, and then instantly turned his eyes away. It was almost amusing for Arthur to watch- he had never seen Merlin act like this before. Then the reality of what had been said sunk in.

"The most powerful? In all time?" Still with his eyes averted from the Prince's face, Merlin nodded. Arthur burst out laughing. "You? That's hilarious! I mean, I could tell that you had quite some level of power, but that?" His laughter grew even more raucous as he saw the conflicted look on Merlin's face- it was like the boy hardly knew whether he should be embarrassed or offended by this absurd reaction to his confession. Finally, he stepped forward with a slightly annoyed look plastered across his face.

"You don't believe me do you?"

"Honestly Merlin," Arthur chuckled, "I don't know _what _ to believe any more."

"Fine then. I'll show you. What do you want me to do?"

Arthur stopped laughing. "Wait- you're actually serious?"

"Yes."

"You're the most powerful sorcerer of all time?"

Merlin blushed again. "Apparently."

Arthur looked around the campsite, searching for anything which could be of use. He recalled what Merlin had said about using magic- how it had made him remember his own feelings when he fought- and an idea flashed inside his mind.

"You see those sticks over there?"

Merlin glanced over to where Arthur was gesturing. Sure enough, there were two sticks lying near the edge of the clearing, each once about 2 feet in length. "Yes."

"I want you to make them have a swordfight." Merlin snorted. Trust the Crown Prince of Camelot to come up with such a ridiculous example. Arthur couldn't resist a little dig. "What? Can't you do it."

"Oh please, I could do that sort of thing when I was still a child. I wouldn't even need to speak any words of the ancient language."

"Go on then. Show me." Arthur sent his servant a taunting grin. This would be fun. Merlin gave a quick pout before turning to face the sticks.

"Fine."

A few seconds later, the two pieces of wood floated up into the air. Arthur watched, amazed, as they began to go through a series of motions- beginning small and gradually working upwards until they were performing an intricate series of manoeuvres. It finally ended with one 'Sword' knocking the other from an imaginary grip, sending it flying out of the clearing before performing a small flourish of victory and dropping to the ground. All-in-all? It was a pretty fantastic fight. But Arthur wasn't about to let Merlin know that. He turned to the young man, viewing his triumphant smile.

"Is that all you've got?" The smile faded slightly, before returning in full force when the Prince spoke again. "What else can you do?

* * *

The rest of the day passed in the blink of an eye. The two of them laughed as Merlin performed various magical feats- a dragon made from the flames of the campfire; a withered flower coming back to life in his hand; two orbs of light chasing each-other round the camp in a game of tag. Through it all, Arthur kept glancing at Merlin. The young manservant seemed more free somehow. He was always a bit of a joker, and he had always seemed quite happy and content with his life, but now he looked as though he hadn't a care in the world. His eyes sparkled with joy as he cast spell after spell, finally able to use his magic as much as he wanted. Arthur couldn't help but wonder- how much must it have hurt this young man to have to keep such a huge secret for so long?

As the sun moved across the sky, and the time drew nearer for the Knights to return from their day of searching, Merlin magically cleared up the mess scattered around the camp and the two dropped into their more usual topics of conversation. It wouldn't do for Sir Leon and the rest to return only to be confronted by the sight of the cooking utensils dancing around merrily in the air.

When the Knights did return, they took one look at the Prince before rushing over to him, concern evident on their faces.

"Sire!" Exclaimed Sir Mordon, one of the older members of the group. "What happened?" Arthur only looked up in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Your head sire!" The Prince lifted his hand to his head. He had forgotten about his injury.

"Oh, this?" He quickly searched his mind to come up with a plausible excuse. "It's nothing. This idiot went to sleep and started tossing around all over the place. He hooked his leg under mine, and I tripped and hit my head. I'm fine though, nothing to worry about." It wasn't a total lie.

The Knights looked enquiringly at the clumsy young servant, who grinned sheepishly.

"It's true. I'm truly sorry. It's nothing major though. Gaius has shown me how to treat minor wounds just in case." He turned to the Prince, slipping back into servant mode. "I would, however, suggest that you don't sleep tonight sire. You can never be sure with head wounds, and Gaius would kill me if I let you sleep when you had a concussion."

Sir Leon turned to face Arthur.

"That's all very well sire, but surely we should get it seen to? Maybe we should return to Camelot early?"

"No no." Arthur shook his head. He still had some things to talk through with Merlin, and he'd never be able to back in the city or on the ride back. Who knew when they would next have an opportunity like this one. "We were going to head back the day after tomorrow anyway. I can easily last until then. I feel fine. I'll stay awake tonight like Merlin suggested, and leave the search to you again tomorrow Leon."

The older Knight nodded, his expression still dubious. "If you're sure sire." Arthur gave a brisk nod.

"I am. Now, who fancies some food? I see you've brought back a few rabbits. I'm sure Merlin will cook us up a fine meal. Won't you Merlin?" The young man sighed in reply.

"Yes sire."

* * *

**Well, there you have it. Once again, please review. It's highly exciting reading them all :)**

**I agree with a few of you reviewers. I'm still missing a bit of Arthur ranting. Hmmm... Ideas for next chapter forming in my mind...**


	8. Chapter 8

**So here's the next chapter. It's quite a bit longer than all the others, but it was fun to write. I hope you all enjoy it, and thanks again to all those who review- I can't believe I'm getting such an overwhelming response! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Merlin cursed, kneading the palm of his hand firmly against his forehead. He had been so thrilled that Arthur had accepted his magic so easily that he had overdone it. Now he was exhausted- even more so than before. He sat in the glow of the fire, dizzy and aching all over, his body screaming out for sleep.

But there was no way he could oblige. Not only did he once again have to face the fear of those dreams haunting his every sleeping moment, he couldn't risk closing his eyes for fear that he would once again use his magic unwittingly- exposing his secret to several of Camelot's Knights in the process. Part of him understood why Arthur had insisted upon not going back early, and another part of him just wanted to scream out in frustration. He knew it was ridiculous, but it honestly felt like the whole world was conspiring against him in an effort to drive him insane. Unknowingly, he let his head fall forward slightly, his eyes closing of their own accord. Until a jab in the arm brought him back to his senses.

"Come on now Merlin, you know you can't."

He grimaced. "I know. I can't help it though." Arthur looked at him pityingly.

"Don't worry. I'll be up all of tonight anyway, so I can make sure you don't sleep. And then you can try and rest as much as you can tomorrow."

Merlin nodded dejectedly. "Thanks Arthur." He caught sight of the bandage around his friend's head, and couldn't help but let yet another apology slip from his lips. "Once again, I'm really sorry about the whole head thing. I honestly didn't realise that I…" He stopped, looking around at the prone forms of the Knights, "…you know."

Arthur just nodded. They had already agreed that they would avoid breaching the subject while the others were in camp- who knew whether one of them would happen to wake up and hear some of their conversation.

"I know. I've already told you that it's fine. But if you apologize once more, I may just consider putting you in the stocks when we get back just for the hell of it. It's getting annoying."

"Sorry." Arthur shot him a look. "Oops. Sorry. I mean…" He gave up, letting out a small breath of laughter before clutching at his head again, elbows resting on his knees. God he was tired.

Trying to find something to keep himself awake, he found himself once again considering the events of the day. All this time he had been so worried about revealing his secret to Arthur- how many times in the past had he found himself planning how he would tell him before he drifted off to sleep? And yet in the end, the whole issue had been resolved in the blink of an eye. He didn't have to hide it from his friend any more.

Contemplating this, he barely even noticed when his eyes began to close once more, his head nodding forwards. He was just about to drift away when another hit to the arm made him bolt upright once again. He sighed. This was going to be another long night.

* * *

When morning came and the Knights had once again left them, Arthur looked at his friend. Merlin was rubbing him arm, a heavy scowl on his face. The young warlock had almost fallen asleep so many times throughout the night (Arthur had lost track after 50) that he had now developed a large bruise down his left arm. Arthur refused to apologize though. There hadn't really been another certain way to ensure that the boy didn't drift off. Still- that was going to be a beautiful bruise.

"You better try and catch some sleep while you can Merlin."

The young man just nodded half-heartedly in response, staggering shakily over to his spot and collapsing to the floor. He was out cold in a matter of seconds.

A bit more cautiously than he had yesterday, Arthur prepared a damp cloth and laid it over his manservant's brow, backing away several feet once he was done. One injury could be passed off as an accident- if he received another one people would be slightly less forgiving of Merlin.

* * *

Several hours later, the two boys propped themselves up against a couple of trees. Merlin had managed to sleep in fitful intervals for a total of about two and a half hours. Basically, he was still utterly exhausted, but he was no longer at the point where he would keel over at the slightest touch.

Arthur couldn't hold it in any longer- there was something he had been dying to ask since yesterday.

"There's one thing I don't get." Merlin just looked at him confusedly. "Well, I understand the whole thing about you using magic all your life and all, but if it came that naturally to you, why bother coming to Camelot? It's not like you needed to practice, right?" Merlin shook his head in response.

"Wrong. It's true that I've been able to do certain things throughout my life, but I wasn't even bothering to try and control all that power. My mother grew worried- fearful that I would end up attracting attention to myself. When she found out that Will knew, she sent me off to Gaius in the hope that he'd be able to calm me down a bit."

Something clicked.

"Hang on- does that mean that during the incident in Ealdor it was actually you who used magic?"

"Yeah. I couldn't help it- I couldn't just stand by and do nothing while everyone I knew and loved died. Will saw how angry you were. He knew he wouldn't… wouldn't survive… so he lied to cover for me."

Arthur nodded. Fair enough- even he wasn't sure he'd have been able to accept Merlin's secret at that point in time. He thought back to Will. He may not even be alive if it weren't for that boy, and Merlin may not be either.

"He was a true friend."

"Yes." Okay. Time to try and turn to a bit of a lighter topic. Maybe a bit of a joke would help.

"So once you had more control over your powers, what made you decide to stay? Let me guess- you had fallen in love with the joy of mucking out the stables?"

Merlin snorted. "Yeah right. The day I find that particular task enjoyable is the day I've lost my mind." He paused for a second before continuing. "No, I stayed because I have a destiny which must be fulfilled."

"That whole most powerful warlock thing?"

"No no- that's only a part of it."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. Being the most powerful sorcerer of all time was only _part_ of the boy's destiny? What else could there be?

"Go on then- what is this other destiny?" Merlin looked at him meaningfully.

"You."

Arthur, who had been about to take a swig from his water skin, promptly sputtered. O-kaaay. _This_ was awkward. He leaned back slightly, hand over his mouth, and coughed embarrassedly.

"Ah. Um… listen, Merlin. I have to say, I'm really flattered and all, but I… um… how to say this?" He coughed again. "I don't really… lean in that _particular_ direction. Besides, there are other things to consider. I mean…" He broke off.

Merlin was looking thoroughly confused. Arthur watched as a look of absolute horror dawned on the younger man's face before his friend backed up as far as he could against the tree, an expression of complete disgust masking his features.

"Ew- ew. Oh. Oh no. No no no no no. I didn't mean…"He looked like he was on the verge of throwing up. "Yuck- that's just disgusting. You actually think that I…? Towards you? Eeeeew!" He shuddered vehemently. Arthur let out a huge breath of relief.

"Oh, thank heavens for that!"

"How could you think I meant something like that?"

"Hey! Don't blame me- you're the one who was all 'Way-hey- you're my destiny' on me!"

Merlin looked aghast. "I didn't mean it like that!"

"Well how was I to know? Choose your words a bit more carefully next time!"

"Well sorry!" They looked at each other. Shuddered. Both knew that they had to find some familiar ground. "Prat."

"Idiot."

"Clot pole."

"Imbecile."

"Arrogant twit."

"Nincompoop."

The two broke off laughing. Glad that was over with.

"So go on then, what _did_ you mean?"

Merlin glanced at him.

"I meant that my destiny is to help you- to protect you- to stay with you and help you to become a great king who the people will love and be proud of."

Arthur frowned. There was something disturbing to him about that sentence. It made it sound as though Merlin was staying in Camelot because he had this one task to do. Like he would be fine to leave as soon as it was complete. As soon as Arthur had become King.

"So you stayed because of your destiny?"

"Uh-huh."

"It was all pre-determined?"

"Apparently there are prophecies- ones which say that you will become the greatest king to have ever lived. It's my job to see you do."

"It's.. your job." He felt a lump of anger rising inside of him.

"Pretty much."

"So all of this time…" He was startled at the bitterness in his voice. "All of this time… All of the two years in which we've been together" He stood, pacing across the camp. "Everything we've been through- you've just been doing your job?"

Merlin furrowed his brow in bewilderment.

"What are you getting so angry about?"

"What am I getting so angry about? Think Merlin! You've basically just told me that the only reason you've stayed this long is because you have a duty to fulfil!" Merlin tried to stand, but just couldn't find the strength. Giving up, he glared in anger at the Prince from where he sat.

"I didn't say that."

"You did! I can't believe this- all of this time I've been thinking that we were actually getting along. That you actually enjoyed being together. And it was all a lie! All this time, you've just been deceiving me!" He swallowed- he hadn't meant to say that. Hadn't meant to sound like a spoilt, pampered Prince having a temper tantrum. But he just felt so betrayed- Merlin was the closest thing he had ever had to a friend- everyone else always made sure to treat him with some level of respect. But now _this_. He glared at Merlin. The young man looked utterly dumbstruck, his eyes wide in shock.

"You think it was all a lie? That it was all for duty?"

Arthur snapped then. "Well wasn't it?"

"Of course not! Do you honestly think I'd risk my life so many times just out of duty?"

"What do you mean?"

"Just what I said- do you have any idea how many times I've had to save your sorry royal backside? I've lost count. And now you're saying that I was only doing it because I _had_ to? Who would do something like that?"

Arthur froze. Merlin had yelled. Merlin never yelled. What did this mean?

"What do you mean you've saved my royal backside? All you ever do is hide off in the bushes whenever we're attacked."

"Oh come on Arthur. Think! You know I have magic- do you honestly think that I was doing nothing all those times? That all those incidences of tree branches suddenly falling or a spear hitting a person creeping up behind you happened by chance?"

"That was you?"

"Of course!"

"Then, if it wasn't because you had to, why did you stay?"

"Because I wanted to!"

Arthur stared at him, the ball of anger dissipating almost as quickly as it had formed. "You… wanted to?"

"Yes. Look, Arthur- you're a great man. And you will be a great King. Yes, it may be my destiny to keep you alive and safe, but surely you see that a destiny cannot go against a person's character. Your destiny is formed by who you are. I would do the same even if it wasn't already prophesised!"

Arthur breathed deeply. He could hardly believe that he had allowed himself to get so worked up. Merlin was right. Walking over, he sat back down facing the young warlock. Both sets of blue eyes connected.

"You said you saved my life more times than you could count. What do you mean?"

"Exactly that. You seem to attract enough trouble for fifty men." Merlin grinned. "Someone has to sort it all out." The Prince sat looking at his friend for a while. There was obviously so much that had happened that he wasn't aware of.

"I want you to tell me everything."

"Huh?"

"I want you to tell me everything. Everything you've done since you came to Camelot. Because I appear to have been oblivious to an awful lot. Don't leave anything out- tell me every little detail."

* * *

It wasn't until hours later that Merlin had stopped talking. His throat had been sore and his head aching, so Arthur had instructed him to attempt to rest some more before the others returned.

As he sat across the camp from the young man's sleeping form, Arthur considered all he had learnt- from the first time Merlin had saved him against the Sorceress who had impersonated the Lady Helen right up to the latest incident with the Great Dragon. How could he have been so blind? Merlin had done so much for him in the time they had been together, and how had he repaid him? By yelling and blaming him for being deceitful. He had so much to make up for.

His heart beat faster as he once again recalled the tears that had fallen from Merlin's eyes when he told him about Freya, the druid girl he had been in love with. Arthur could remember her- the young girl in tattered clothing who had transformed into a giant black cat right in front of his eyes. He was the one who had dealt the woman Merlin loved a mortal blow. And yet Merlin had forgiven him. He had known that Arthur had no choice.

And Morgana- Arthur couldn't believe that he had been so stupid. That he had actually left her alone with the king when she was the vessel for the spell which so nearly caused Camelot's downfall. But Merlin had noticed- and had taken it upon his own shoulders to save them all by poisoning a friend he had cared so much about.

The young man had told him- he didn't believe Morgana to be evil, only misguided. If there had been any other option, any other way to break the spell, Arthur knew that Merlin would have taken it without a second thought, even if it had cost him his life in the process.

As he watched his friend tossing and turning, the sheer gravity of everything that he had learnt weighed itself firmly in his heart. He would repay him someday- spend his entire life making up for everything.

Then he realised. Merlin had been through so much. Had seen such great and terrible things. Had had his heart tested so many times- and yet he had always bounced back to his old self before. What had changed? If he had been through all of that and remained himself, not ever giving in to the darkness- then why was he suffering so badly now? It couldn't be a simple reason such as guilt or grief, no matter how much of it he had suffered.

Could it be possible… that the reason was sorcery?


	9. Chapter 9

**Wow. I can't believe you brilliant people have given me almost 60 reviews already. Not to mention all of the favourites and alerts. I'm really glad you're still enjoying it so much. Well, here's chapter 9.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

As they rode towards Camelot the following day, Arthur remained quietly in thought. Having already ascertained that his head wound had not given him a concussion, the Knights would not hear of him staying up another night, or even joining in on the shifts. As such, he had not yet had a chance to talk to Merlin about his theory.

Glancing over at his manservant, he saw the young man struggling to keep awake in his saddle. Another night without any sleep had take its toll on him, and he was constantly having to sip from his water skin in a vain attempt to keep his increasingly painful headache at bay. Worried that Merlin would not be able to keep it up, he turned his head to speak to his companions.

"What say we speed up the pace a little? After all, warm meals and mattresses await us at the castle!" Taking the resounding cheer that followed his words as a yes, he spurred his horse on faster. It was a good thing Merlin had been given an obedient horse for the journey- it automatically sped up to keep pace with the Prince's steed even without encouragement from it's rider.

The sun was nearing the horizon when the city's walls came into view, the group increasing the pace once again in their eagerness to get home.

Leaving the horses with the stable hands, Arthur immediately turned to Merlin.

"Right. You go straight to your room and rest. I'll be along as soon as I've finished delivering my report to my father."

He kept his eye on his servant as he began to stride towards the hall where he knew his father would be finishing up for the day. He could only hope that the boy would be able to stay on his feet long enough to reach Gaius' chambers.

* * *

In actual fact, Merlin didn't quite manage to make it back by himself.

Staggering along the corridors of the castle, his vision suddenly went black. He had just enough awareness to realise what was happening before he tumbled to the floor, out cold.

He was found a few minutes later by a rather shocked guard who, upon failing to wake the unconscious boy, immediately went ahead to fetch the Court Physician.

Gaius arrived within minutes and anxiously felt his ward's forehead, before turning back to the guard and asking that he assist in bringing the boy back to his chambers. Once there, he thanked the guard for his help, allowing the man to return to his duties. Arthur arrived just minutes later, the king having let him leave promptly after learning that the search had so far turned up no trace of his missing ward.

The Prince burst through the doors into the Physician's chambers to find Merlin lying in the old bed, a furrowed brow upon the old man's face as he hurried to concoct some sort of medicine.

"Is he alright?"

Gaius looked up briefly, startled by this sudden intrusion upon his concentration. "Ah, sire." He looked over at his patient. "He seems to have developed quite the fever. With some rest and a few draughts of medicine he should be right as rain in no time."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, no. That won't be necessary." Focusing his gaze on the Prince, he asked "Sire, may I ask what happened to your head for it to be dressed up in such a manner?" Arthur squirmed. He knew that Gaius was aware of Merlin's magic, but he was sure his friend would rather let the old man know himself that his secret had been revealed. Sighing, he settled upon using the same story he had told the Knights.

"Nothing much. Merlin was having a nightmare and accidentally knocked me over. I hit my head. It's nothing to worry about."

"I think you should let me be the judge of that." He gestured towards a stool over by the table. "Sit." Arthur obliged, allowing his bandage to be removed to allow clear viewing of his wound. Gaius raised his eyebrow. "May I enquire as to who it was that dressed this wound?"

"It was Merlin. Why?" The old man sighed in reply, cleaning the wound and proceeding to apply his own salve before answering.

"I should have known. It's not exactly the neatest work. Still, I suppose I should be thankful that he remembered the basics- even if he did cause the injury in the first place."

"He didn't mean to."

"I know. He simply has a tendency to land himself in rather troublesome situations. I must apologize." Arthur couldn't help but feel at tinge of guilt at the thought that it was in fact largely _his _fault that Merlin ended up in a lot of said situations. Even if he didn't intend to.

"No apology is necessary. It couldn't be helped, and no serious harm was caused."

"True." Gaius paused quickly. "You mentioned that it was caused while he was having a nightmare. They're still occurring?"

"Yes. He's barely slept at all while we've been away."

"Well that would certainly explain the fever, and the fact that he was found collapsed on his way here."

"He collapsed? Again?"

"What do you mean again?"

"Well, he also fainted a couple of days ago. We excluded him from the rest of the search because of it so that he could rest during the day. Do you know what might be causing it?" He left his next question unspoken: _Do you think it could be magic?_

"I'm not sure sire. I had been providing him with sleeping draughts before he left- they may have helped him slightly. I'll try a stronger mixture when he comes round."

"No thanks." A weak voice called over from the corner of the room. Both heads instantly snapped round, the two of them at Merlin's side in seconds. "Those things taste terrible." Gaius just shook his head reprovingly.

"Nonetheless you will take them. Anything we can try is worth it." The young warlock scrunched his face up in distaste.

"Oh joy." Merlin watched as his Mentor walked back over to the table and picked up a small draught, similar to the ones the young man used to deliver to Morgana's chambers, bringing it back over to the bed and placing it in Merlin's hand.

"Now- I want you to go straight into your room, drink this and get some sleep. It may not be able to stop the nightmares, but it should give you enough rest to let you recover to the point where you don't keel over in the corridor." Merlin shot Arthur a look which clearly said _don't tell him- I want to make this as good as possible _before trudging off to his room and shutting his door behind him. Gaius turned his gaze to the young Prince next.

"As for you, sire, I daresay you're feeling rather tired as well. I suggest you go off to your own bed."

Arthur nodded. He knew better than to disagree when the old Physician used that particular tone of voice. He walked towards the door, calling out as he left. "I'll be back in the morning. I have something to discuss with that idiot."

Gaius was left standing alone in the middle of the room. Really, it was quite a wonder that the two of them were still alive with all the things that happened to them. A passing thought flickered through his mind as he gave a yawn. What would Arthur have to talk about with Merlin that made him sound that serious?

Shrugging his shoulders, he turned to pick up his nightshirt.

"Maybe I'll turn in myself."

* * *

**Well there you are. I think this story is beginning to wrap itself up- I'll probably only get a few more chapters out to you all. But I've got a few more story ideas swirling round in this brain of mine. After reading a review from kutoki, I got to thinking. Do you think I should attempt a sequel of this at some point- something to do with their reactions when Morgana is found- or should I just leave it with this whole mess getting concluded?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks to any and all reviews received after last chapter- I still haven't fully decided, but the opportunity for a sequel is still there (more opinions are always welcome). Well, here's chapter 10 for you.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.**

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**Chapter 10**

When Arthur awoke the next morning, it was to the sight of sunlight streaming in through the window and the sound of Merlin's not quite as cheery as usual voice.

"Rise and shine sleepyhead."

Arthur propped himself up by his elbows, squinting in the light. "Merlin?"

"The one and only."

"What are you doing here? I'd have thought Gaius would be forcing you to rest." He got a shrug in reply.

"He tried, but there's no point in me hanging around trying to go back to sleep when I really can't. Besides- he said you were going to come over anyway. I figured I'd save you the trouble. Now come on, breakfast is served."

Sighing, Arthur swung himself out of bed and walked over to the table. He hadn't realised until this moment how hungry he was- with all the worry last night he had completely forgotten about supper. As he ate, Merlin readied his clothes for the day, then waited for him to finish. It couldn't really be said that he waited patiently, as he spent the entire time fidgeting. As soon as the last bite had passed the Prince's lips, he spoke.

"So what did you want to talk about?"

Arthur quickly studied his friend's face. He was still quite a bit more pale than he usually was, although it must be said that he didn't look anywhere near as bad as he had the day before.

"Why don't you just sit down Merlin? You look like death."

Merlin flashed him an annoying grin.

"Could it be that you're worried about me? I'm flattered."

"Of course not. I just don't really fancy having to deal with all the fuss if you collapsed on my floor." It wouldn't be good for Merlin to know how bothered he was over his condition. Pretending didn't help though, as Merlin just gave a knowing smile.

"Of course not sire. But thanks, I think I'll take you up on your offer." With that said, he promptly sat down opposite the Prince, not quite managing to hide the relief it gave to his strained body. "Now come on- tell me. What did you want to talk about?"

"Very well. It's about these dreams you've been having."

Merlin tensed slightly, a minute frown developing on his face. "What about them?"

"Well, for starters, have you ever dreamt of the likes before they started?"

"No. I mean, I've had bad dreams before- everyone has. But this is the first time I've ever had them continuously."

"Even though, from what you told me the other day, you've evidently seen enough to give even hardened warriors the odd nightmare here and there?" The frown grew larger. Evidently, Merlin didn't like being reminded of everything that had happened in his waking hours as well as during the night.

"Is there a point to this?"

"Merlin. Just answer the question."

"Fine. That's right. Like I said- nothing like it before."

"Then it's entirely unprecedented…" This was said so quietly that Merlin had to strain to catch it.

"What was that?"

"Nothing- I just wanted to confirm something. Now, how deep would you say your knowledge of sorcery is?"

"I know enough. I wouldn't say that I know as much as I need yet- normally I have to spend ages looking up a particular spell if it's something really important. Why? What's this got to do… with…" Arthur just gave him a pointed look as an expression of realisation slowly dawned on the young man's face. "You think this could be magical."

"Yes."

"But who'd want to do something like this- no one in Camelot apart from you and Gaius know that I have magic, and why bother making a normal servant lose sleep? There doesn't seem to be any point in it."

"That's what I've been thinking about for a few days now. If it's not because they know your secret, and it's not because of your position- which, lets face it, is pretty much non-existent in the grand scheme of things…"

"Hey!"

"Then it must be because of something you've done. Basically- revenge."

Merlin shook his head in confusion. "But who would want revenge against…" He took a sharp breath, as what Arthur had said clicked in his mind. "Morgause."

"Precisely- you did poison her sister after all. No matter what the circumstances, even the average person would find that hard to forgive. Not to mention that in the process you prevented her from murdering my father."

Merlin put his head in his hands, leaning forward against the table. How could he have been so stupid? He should have thought of this. Truth-be-told though, he'd been so tired lately he'd hardly been able to think straight at all- let alone consider that there might be an external factor to his condition. But it all made sense- if you considered that the nightmares had started such a short while after the incident with Morgause and the Knights of Medhir. He looked up at Arthur.

"But it's useless. Without knowing how the spell was caused, I won't know how to counter it."

Arthur stayed impassive, completely unfazed by this. After all, at least they had a lead. "Doesn't matter. We can research. What matters is that we've got an idea of what to look for. As long as you can keep your magic under control until we find the answer it'll all work out fine." The Prince stood up, heading towards the door. "Now lets go- the sooner we get started the better."

"Um…Arthur?"

"What?"

"You're not dressed." He looked down at himself. Yes, he was still just in the loose trousers we wore to bed.

"Ah." He looked over at the smug expression on his manservant's face. "Shut up."

"I didn't say anything."

"You were going to."

Merlin opened his mouth as if to rebut this statement but quickly decided against it. It was true after all. Instead, he waited until the young Prince was behind the screen before offering a suggestion.

"Why don't we start of with the books in Gaius' chambers- there's a lot of information and it may save us from having to visit that dusty old Library."

"You know, for once you may just have had a half-decent idea." Arthur stuck his head over the top of the screen. "Speaking of Gaius- have you told him yet that I know?"

"Not yet. I thought it might be better if we were together when he found out- if it's just me who knows how long he'll have me on leech-tank duty."

"Have you decided how to tell him?"

A mischievous grin spread across the young servant's face as he tilted his head jauntily to one side.

"About that- I was considering getting a little bit of payback for him making me drink that foul-tasting concoction yesterday." Arthur came into view, now fully clothed, and gave a dubious nod. "So, I was thinking it might be fun if we put on a bit of a play for him…"

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**He he. I can't wait to get started on the next chapter. I'll try and get it done for tonight, but it may end up being slightly later than the updates so far- I have a whole bunch of work to do for Uni (Note to self: this is what happens when you leave work until the last minute- you have to do it all at the last minute. It's common sense really. Tut tut tut.)**


	11. Chapter 11

**And here it is- the final chapter. I've still got work to do, but I needed a break so I managed to get this done. Once again, thank you so much for all of the fantastic support I've received throughout my writing this (71 reviews at this point in time). It makes me sad that it's all coming to an end. Still, plenty of ideas are swirling round in my head, including a possible future sequel to 'Nightmares', so keep an eye out. And please don't forget to tell me what you think of this Chapter too :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin**

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**Chapter 11**

Gaius was sitting at the table in his chambers, pooling over a large tome on anatomy, when there came an urgent knock on the door. Rushing over to open it, he was promptly met by the sight of a rather worried-looking Arthur, with an unconscious Merlin propped up awkwardly in his arms.

"Whatever happened this time?"

As he explained, Arthur dragged Merlin back to the bed he had lain in the day before. "We were just heading through the castle so that I could check on the movement of the guards when he started to complain that his headache was returning. Another few steps, and he was flat on his face. Luckily, we were relatively close, so I thought it would be best if I just brought him here." Striding back to the other side of the room, so that the physician was between the two, he spoke again, a slight hint of annoyance on his face. "I thought he was going to have the day off."

"I did try sire, but you know what Merlin can be like." Arthur just nodded. Yes, he knew. All too well.

Walking over to the bed, Gaius held a hand to his ward's brow.

"Well, his fever is not as great as it was yesterday. A good sign." He turned away from the raven-haired young man and back towards the Prince. "If he has a couple of days off, and actually rests this time, he should be just fine."

"Good. I'll just leave him to you then- I've got…to…" Gaius noticed that the Prince's eyes were suddenly focused sharply on a point just behind his left shoulder. "What. On. Earth?"

Turning around, the problem was immediately evident. A piece of parchment which had been lain on the table had floated up into the air, accompanied by a quill- which then ever so slowly started to write. He glanced in shock at his apparently sleeping ward (whose fingers were twitching awkwardly), before spinning round to face Arthur. How would he ever be able to explain this? It was so obviously magical.

The Prince's expression was thunderous.

"What is going on here?" He demanded. "Are you doing this?"

Gaius quickly shook his head. "Of course not sire!"

"Then is it Merlin?"

"It can't be." _Could it? After all, he had used magic because of a fever before- when he had been poisoned._

"Then what other explanation is there? There is no-one else in the room!"

Gaius stumbled over his next words.

"I really couldn't say sire- I am as surprised as you." The scratching of the quill behind him came to a halt. As he turned, the quill lay itself back on the table, the parchment rolling itself up before flying over to hang in front of the old Physician. Snatching it out of the air, he hurriedly unrolled it. His eyebrows shot up at what had been written. Scrawled across the page in large, sprawling letters, was just one word.

SURPRISE!

He was so focused on the parchment that he didn't notice as the young Prince of Camelot strode casually across the room and seated himself on the bed, next to a now obviously awake and sitting-up Merlin.

"Well," came Arthur's voice, "do you have an explanation?" He turned towards the source of the voice, still focused on the item in his hand.

"I'm afraid I don't sire." He looked up. And was greeted by the sight of two of the largest grins he had seen in many years.

Arthur spoke again, and this time Gaius could hear the barely-restrained laughter. "Are you sure?"

He shifted his eyes between the two of them. "Wait a…did you just…Arthur, do you…?" Surely not.

This time neither of the boys could hold back their laughter.

"Yes Gaius, I know." Gaius just stood there in shock.

Merlin was practically in hysterics at this point. "You should have seen your face!"

"But how…?" At this, Arthur managed to contain most of his laughter. He stood up, leaving Merlin still whooping on the bed.

"You know how I told you that Merlin knocked me over while he was asleep?"

"Yes sire." Gaius was beginning to get annoyed now. Had he just been the butt of a joke? "Was this incorrect?"

"Oh no. It's just that the manner in which he hit me was rather…how to put it?…_unconventional…_" The penny dropped.

"So you found out about Merlin's magic." It wasn't really a question.

"Yes."

"And the two of you decided to play a trick on me?"

It was Merlin's turn to answer (having how subsided into just giggling). "Yes."

"You found this amusing?" The smiles were back in full force.

"Very."

"I see." The old man paused. Maybe he would have a bit of fun in return. He may be able to laugh about it late, but it had in his reaction been a rather harsh prank. He quickly made up a drink for the two young men. Changing his tone into a more jocular one, he handed them the cups. "Would you like me to tell you something Merlin? Arthur?" Merlin's laughter stopped. He knew that tone. And it wasn't good.

"No. I'm fine."

"Oh really? Because I'm fine with not telling you. Although you really should know."

Both of them were nervous now. Looking at each other, they hurried to change the way the conversation was going. By taking a sip of drink.

The old man just laughed as they immediately spat it out, their faces twisted in disgust. "I told you you would want to know."

* * *

Ten minutes later found the three of them sitting around the table, Arthur having just relayed his theory behind the nightmares plaguing his manservant (and also apologising for their earlier misdemeanour). Merlin, his head resting on the table, turned to Gaius questioningly. He really didn't have the strength anymore to stay upright for so long.

"Do you have any ideas?"

Gaius shook his head. Trust Merlin to have made such a powerful and vindictive enemy. It really was just like him. "I'm afraid not. There are any number of spells of course, but unless we know which one was used we cannot break it." He frowned, remembering something. "Merlin?"

"Yes?"

"Have you been playing around with flowers lately? Using them in some sort of magic?"

"No. Why?"

The old man stood quickly and walked into Merlin's room. He was back soon, a small box clasped in his hands. He laid it on the table in front of his ward. The boy just looked confused.

"What's this?"

"Just open it." He did, his expression turning to one of shock as he saw the now brightly glowing flower inside it. "I found this under your mattress while you were away. I just assumed you were up to one of your tricks, so I hid it there so that the light wouldn't escape."

Arthur looked between the two of them. "So this is the cause of the enchantment?" Gaius nodded gravely. "Then surely all we have to do it destroy it."

"It's not that simple sire. For a spell such as this, it is possible that even if we destroyed the flower the spell would not break."

"You're saying that we can't do anything? That Merlin's just going to be stuck like this?"

Gaius shook his head. "No sire, I simply meant that it may not be possible to break the spell using just physical means alone. We may need to use magic to counteract the spell, and for that we will need to research." Merlin groaned. In the end, it still came down to pouring through dusty old books. "Now don't be like that Merlin," Gaius scolded, "at least now we know what we're looking for."

* * *

Hours later, Arthur snapped his head up from the book he was reading.

"Gaius! Here!" The old man quickly joined him, looking over his shoulder at the illustration of a flower shown there. It was exactly the same as the one in the box- the description even explaining how the strength of the glow depicted the power the spell wielded.

"That's it!" He frowned. With what little magic he had, at the level the spell was now there was no way he could break such an enchantment. If only he'd realised before! The Physician quickly shook this from his mind- it was too late to consider that now. "I was right- this will need power and concentration to break. I'll go fetch Merlin." The young warlock had been asleep in his room for the past two hours, aided by another sleeping draught. Although they had still heard quite a few anguished mutterings in that time. "He should be just rested enough that his mind will not be clouded with exhaustion." He walked over to his ward's room.

A few minutes later he was back, followed by a loudly-yawning Merlin.

"Gaius said you had…" Another yawn. "Sorry…had found the counter-spell?"

"Yes. Here." Arthur slid the book over the table. "Do you think you can do it?" Merlin shot him a reproving look.

"Who do you think I am?" He paused, smiling briefly. "I've always wanted to say that."

Arthur sighed, rolling his eyes. No matter what happened, Merlin was still that same old bumbling fool of a servant he had always been. "Just get on with it."

Merlin nodded and, turning toward the flower, he raised his hand before speaking the spell.

"_Bléd ic i áswindee ond ácolitus ic i ádeorce, líesing sé galdorléoð dréfing swefnae._" Nothing. He tried again. "___Bléd ic i áswindee ond ácolitus ic i ádeorce, líesing sé galdorléoð dréfing swefnae._" Still nothing. Not even a flicker. Arthur looked at him, concern evident in his expression.

"Can't you do it?"

Gaius put a hand on the Prince's shoulder. "Just give him time sire. It is a difficult spell to undo when left this long, and he is not in the best of conditions."

There was silence in the room for a few minutes as the young warlock closed his eyes and took several deep, steadying breaths. Neither onlooker dared to interrupt. When he opened them again, they were a brilliant shade of gold. Merlin spoke with authority, the power in his voice causing Arthur to shiver slightly.

"___Bléd ic i áswindee ond ácolitus ic i ádeorce, líesing sé galdorléoð dréfing swefnae_!"

The flower flashed brighter momentarily, then the glow suddenly disappeared. The spell broken, the flower promptly withered. Arthur hurried to pick it up and hold it over a lit candle, the three watching in victorious silence as the source of the enchantment turned to ash before their eyes.

* * *

A few days later saw Merlin bursting happily into Arthur's room, setting down the Prince's breakfast, and quickly drawing the curtains. He had slept for almost two days straight, and was eager to be get up and about once again.

"Up you get lazybones!" He cheerfully exclaimed, before dodging the pillow which came flying in his direction.

"Ah, Merlin. You're back. All better I trust?"

"Of course."

"Good. Then you can wash my clothes, mend my shirt, sharpen my sword, polish ,my armour and see to my horse. We're riding out again tomorrow to continue the search, and I want everything in top condition."

Merlin grimaced. "Can't you cut me a bit of slack? It is my first day back on the job after all."

"Exactly. And thanks to your absence, the chores have been piling up." He swung out of bed and walked over to the table. "Now get to it." Merlin sighed. It looked like things were back to normal for now. As Arthur went to eat the large portion of cheese on his plate, the young servant in the room let his eyes change colour just briefly, the plate sliding over to the other side of the table. He put on an innocent expression as Arthur turned to stare at him.

Well, things were almost back to normal.

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**And that's it I'm afraid *sobs*. I hope you think it ended well (and that the prank wasn't too mean of them). I had to use a translator a word at a time for the spell, so it may not be completely correct, but it basically says "_Flower fade and light dim, release the spell disturbing dreams_".**

**Before I go, I want to thank all of you who have reviewed, especially those who have been there supporting me pretty much from the start- just a few of you are Therandomonestaringatyou, ruby890, Katherine Moonhawk, JBQ and Lor4eto. I apologize to those not mentioned- it doesn't mean you're any less loved. And, of course, I have to thank my housemate, who is responsible for introducing me to the site- peskychesk, hurry up and get started on your first fanfic already!**

**And so, for now at least, I bid you farewell. It's been an amazing honour (and I seriously mean that) to write for such a brilliant audience.**

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**Edit: There is now a Sequel, entitled 'Reality'**


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